How To Parley in Dwarf Fortress

As you build your humble community into a proud kingdom in Dwarf Fortress, your civilization’s borders are bound to press against those of other nations who might try to invade. Fortunately, if one of your neighboring civilizations does declare war on yours, you can restore peace by parleying with your would-be conquerors. Here’s a breakdown of how to parley with hostile nations in Dwarf Fortress.

Dwarf Fortress – How to Parley

While starvation, dehydration, or alcohol deprivation are the most persistent long-term threats to your fortress’ survival, it will likely be sieged by a rival nation at one point or another. The most common orchestrators of a siege are Goblins, who will regularly assault your fortress without provocation. However, Humans and Elves may siege your fortress if the dwarves under its banner regularly attack their caravans and kill or imprison their diplomats.

If you aren’t confident that your fortress’s defenses can withstand the siege heading your way, you can try to sue for peace by parleying with the invading nation. Alternatively, invaders who’ve repeatedly failed to conquer your fortress may try to parley with you to end the bloodshed. Regardless of which side initiates the negotiations, the price for a ceasefire is always a Legendary Artifact.

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Crafted by one of your fortress’ citizens once in their lifetime, Legendary Artifacts are valuable objects that are seen as physical embodiments of their makers’ very souls. After both sides have accepted the terms of the parley, your fortress’s leader must put the Legendary Artifact in their inventory and bring it to the enemy’s forces. Be sure to click the hammer and lock icon to prioritize the task, or your leader could waste valuable time focusing on other endeavors.

If all goes as planned, the enemy will peacefully withdraw after the Legendary Artifact has traded hands. However, while parleying can be a surefire way to save your fortress from being wiped out by a more-powerful nation in the early game, it’s important to remember that it’s not an optimal long-term solution. Not only is the Legendary Artifact bartered in a parley lost forever, but the peace it buys is only temporary.

To ensure that you don’t find yourself trading Legendary Artifacts to every invading army that crosses your border, it’s essential to focus on strengthening your fortress’s defenses by constructing a Barracks building and training a militia that can defend it against persistent aggressors. Alternatively, you can strive to build a better relationship with your more-agreeable neighbors by establishing trade agreements and treating non-dwarven visitors with respect.